What was a Chevelle station wagon called?
The Chevelle station wagon was officially called the Chevelle Estate Wagon.
In the mid-1960s, Chevrolet branded its Chevelle wagons with the Estate Wagon designation in official literature and advertisements. This naming helps distinguish the family-hauler wagon from other Chevelle body styles, and it reflects GM’s broader Estate/Wagon naming convention across its brands during that era.
Historical naming: Estate Wagon
During the first generation of the mid-size Chevelle family’s long-running wagon span, Chevrolet consistently used the term Estate Wagon to identify the four-door wagon variant built on the Chevelle platform. This naming appears in dealer brochures, sales literature, and period press materials from roughly 1964 through 1967, aligning with GM’s estate/wagon branding used on other GM nameplates as well.
Here are the main years when the Chevelle wagon carried the Estate Wagon designation:
- 1964 Chevelle Estate Wagon
- 1965 Chevelle Estate Wagon
- 1966 Chevelle Estate Wagon
- 1967 Chevelle Estate Wagon
These four model years represent the core period when Chevrolet clearly labeled the wagon as the Estate Wagon, a distinction that collectors and enthusiasts often use to identify the vehicle’s original marketing and literature.
What happened after 1967 and how collectors view it
With the 1968 redesign, GM’s mid-size Chevelle lineup shifted in branding and trim, and wagon nomenclature began to vary more by dealer literature and trim level. In practice, the Estate Wagon name is most strongly associated with the 1964–1967 Chevelle wagons, and later years are more likely to be referred to simply as the Chevelle Wagon or by trim names like Malibu within the broader Chevelle family.
For modern collectors and historians, the Estate Wagon designation remains a helpful shorthand to verify a car’s original marketing materials, production list, and matching options from that specific window of time.
Why the naming mattered to buyers then and now
In the 1960s, buyers considered wagon branding when assessing cargo space, comfort, and family practicality. The Estate Wagon label signified a dedicated family-oriented wagon with ample cargo room and seating, setting expectations for features, options, and pricing that differed from the sedan and coupe Chevelle variants.
Summary
In short, a Chevelle station wagon was called the Estate Wagon during the mid-1960s, specifically from 1964 to 1967. This branding reflects Chevrolet’s use of the Estate/Wagon naming convention across GM products of the era and helps today’s enthusiasts verify original materials and identify authentic examples from that period.
